Bicycle Crunches

If there was one spot on the human body that men and women alike could agree was the one spot they wished looked better it would be right around their middle. I don’t know a single person who wouldn’t love to have a six pack. Now, for some of us (like those of us who have ever been pregnant) that particular goal is a long shot with a chance of zero to none of ever coming to fruition (at least without the help of a skilled plastic surgeon with a sharp scalpel), but having a strong core is a goal that everyone should shoot to attain…everyone.

So what is the best exercise to tone your core and make sure to keep your balance skills up to par? There is some debate on this particular topic. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, of course and so we will just let them keep debating (because truthfully, 90% of the ab exercises are awesome for one reason or another. I can only think of a few that area complete waste of time for most people).

One of my particular favorite exercises to develop a strong overall mid section is bicycle crunches. Every client I have introduced these to has had the same thing to say upon completion of their third set… “Those are hard!”. Well, yeah! Of course they’re hard, you don’t get results from doing easy workouts!

Bicycle Crunches:

Lying flat on the floor, press your lower back to the ground. Place your hands behind your head for support (and to take the strain out of your neck), then bring knees up to about a 45 degree angle. Slowly go through a bicycle pedaling motion, touching your left elbow to your right knee, then your right elbow to your left knee. Keep an even and relaxed breathing pattern throughout the entire set.

Straighten your left leg out while simultaneously turning your upper body to the right, taking your left elbow towards your right knee.

Switch sides, bringing your right elbow towards your left knee.

Continue alternating sides in a pedaling motion for 3 sets of 15 repetitions (one repetition is counted after alternately bringing both the right and left knees up to meet their opposing elbow).

After doing your first set, you should start to feel what it is that I love about these crunches! They engage your entire core, strengthening everything not just your abdominals, not just your obliques, not just your erector spinae…everything!! LOVE IT!!